“Scat III”

Scat III, a Lockheed P-38L "Lightning," has a storied history that spans from its origins in 1945 to its current incarnation. Originally meant for combat but never deployed, the aircraft transitioned into the realm of air racing under the ownership of James L. Harp. Over the years, it changed hands multiple times until it underwent a significant restoration in 1995, receiving the "E" model nose configuration reminiscent of its fighter combat duties during WWII.

Under the guise of "Marge," Scat III continued in the aviation world until the Fagens took possession in 2004. In 2015, in a nod to Robin Olds, the renowned fighter pilot, the aircraft's nose art was updated to Scat III as a tribute to his achievements. Olds' remarkable career as a P-38 pilot during WWII, marked by fearless flying and exceptional leadership, solidified his place in history as one of the most successful fighter pilots of his time, ending the war with 12 victories to his name. Robin Olds attended West Point, became an All-American tackle and graduated in 1943. After pilot training, he went to England in May, 1944 as a P-38 pilot with the 434th Fighter Squadron and flew three missions over the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. Olds was a daring pilot and a natural leader. He quickly shot down five enemy fighters to become the 479th Fighter Group’s first ace and, at the young age of 22, was promoted to Major and became Squadron Commander.

The squadron, activated on 15 October 1943 at Grand Central Air Terminal near Long Beach, California, initially served as an air defense organization for the west coast under IV Fighter Command. Following a decision to deploy Lightning squadrons to Britain for heavy bomber escort duty, the squadron was reassigned to RAF Wattisham, England, between April and May 1944, under VIII Fighter Command, Eighth Air Force. Engaging primarily in B-17/B-24 escort activities and fighter sweeps, the squadron patrolled the beachhead during the Normandy invasion in June 1944.

Throughout the summer and fall of 1944, the squadron conducted strafing and dive-bombing missions in support of Allied offensives in France, targeting key enemy positions and infrastructure. From escort duties to fighter-bomber missions, the unit played a vital role in the breakthrough at Saint-Lô in July and the airborne attack on the Netherlands in September. As of October 1944, the squadron continued its escort and fighter-bomber activities until mid-December of that year, transitioning to P-51 aircraft between September 10 and October 1. This transition saw missions conducted with both P-38s and P-51s until the conversion was completed. The Squadron participated in the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944 – January 1945) by escorting bombers to and from targets in the battle area and by strafing transportation targets while on escort duty. From February to April 1945 it continued to fly escort missions, but also provided area patrols to support the airborne attack across the Rhine in March.